Frosty's really a holiday horror

By Kat Angus, Canwest News Service December 18, 2009

The holiday season always brings the same Christmas specials to television, and chances are that even the most cynical viewer has at least one or two favourites. Frosty the Snowman airs tonight on CBS, and while it's a beloved Christmas tale that's been told for decades, it's a wonder the story and song haven't given children nightmares all that time.

Frosty comes alive with the help of a magic hat, but any time the hat is removed, he becomes inanimate once again, a concept that surely would have traumatized any normal child. To talk and play with your best friend, only for them to freeze and all but disappear a second later? It's a terrifying prospect. Furthermore, that there's some evil adult who is determined to not only destroy your friendship, but to pretty much let your best friend die (by letting him melt) -- that doesn't really foster trust between children and adults.

Even worse, there's no way for Karen and Frosty to be together -- either Frosty melts or Karen freezes.

Of course, Christmas itself is pretty scary if examined from the proper angle. An old man, who lives in seclusion most of the year, spends his time spying on children, using completely subjective criteria to determine whether they deserve toys or not. Oh, and then he breaks into your house and eats your food. Yeah, that sounds great, let's go through that horror every year.

But that's probably not giving children much credit. They have an incredible capacity to understand magic and whimsy, especially around the holidays, when they believe more than ever that anything's possible. Where adults can easily pick apart even the sweetest of Christmas stories, children tend to take them at face value and simply enjoy them for what they are -- a fun way to enjoy the holidays with their families and friends.

8 p.m., CBS